This application is a re-filed application Ser. No. 07/829,987, filed Feb. 3, 1992 which was abandoned after being rejected. Two corrections were made in the code part of the re-filed application and amended to better help those skilled in the art to understand and use the invention.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an eight bit binary computer data code used as an eight dot braille arrangement and a system and method for entering or producing a space, letters, numbers, data, symbols, control, etc. on an eight key or sensor binary chordic keyboard manipulated by four digits of a first group by a preferred left hand and by four digits of a second group by a preferred right hand respectively.
2. Description of Related Art
There are a number of well-known, prior art keyboards and systems used for inputting alphanumeric data into typewriters, braille writers, word processors, computers, laptops, PDAs and the like. Unfortunately, most modem systems are inherently slow, difficult to learn, not organized in a logical fashion and/or cumbersome for the general population, including the handicapped and sight disabled.
The best known system is the QWERTY keyboard layout which derives its name from the first six letters of the top row of the alphabet keys or sensors. The QWERTY system has been around for many years and was originally implemented in order to slow down typists so that manual typewriter keys would not jam. A good explanation of the history of the QWERTY keyboard is set forth in an article entitled "TYPING WITH A TWO-HAND CHORD KEYBOARD: WILL THE QWERTY BECOME OBSOLETE?" by Daniel Gopher and David Raij, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Volume 18, No. 4, July-August 1988, pages 601-609.
In response to the relatively slow and cumbersome QWERTY system, some new word processors and computers have moved to a Dvorak layout, although very few. One of the characteristics of the Dvorak keyboard is that the vowels a, o, e, u and i form the first five keys of the second alphabetic row of the keyboard. The United States Department of the Navy tested the Dvorak design and found up to a twenty percent increase in typing speeds. While improved efficiencies are possible and proven with the Dvorak keyboard, it does have some drawbacks, the major one of which is that the keys are not laid out in an ergonomic fashion to follow the natural positions of the hands. Moreover, because there are more keys than the operator has digits, it is necessary for the operator to move his or her hands frequently and fingers up/down or left/right to find and depress the appropriate key or keys. This tends to reduce the overall speed of the typist.
In order to increase speed, the chordic keyboard was invented. There are a number of chordic keyboards on the market, some of which have sets of linear rows, some have curved rows, some have vertical rows or some have horizontal rows. The common denominator is that it has fewer keys than the common QWERTY keyboard or the Dvorak keyboard, and that chords are employed, i.e. combinations of keys or sensors, to enter or produce specific letters, numbers, symbols or functions. A good example of a modern one handed chordic keyboard for use by either hand is the BAT, U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,108 to Gopher et al., sold by Infogrip, Inc., 812 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge, La. 70802. The BAT keyboard comprises two sets of keys, seven for the left hand and seven for the right. Various combinations of keys, from either hand, form binary chords which enter letters, numbers, punctuation, etc., into a computer for processing. Other keyboards are available for attachment to personal computers and the like in order to provide additional functions or to increase the speed of data entry.
The patent literature describes a number of efforts to improve the speed and efficiency of data entry on keyboards. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,572 to Meguire, et al. entitled CHORD ENTRY KEYING OF DATA FIELDS describes a keyboard arrangement, which in one embodiment, has eleven keys arranged in two sets of five, for either hand, and a common enter key located between the two hands. The system permits the entry of data in a chord-like fashion provided that the common function key is depressed during a predetermined time frame prior to or after the depression of the last data key. Efforts to arrange keyboard keys in a vertical fashion is also described in certain prior art literature. U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,747 to Alferieff entitled MAN TO MACHINE COMMUNICATION KEYBOARD DEVICE discloses a keyboard arrangement in which the four digits and thumb of the right and left hands, respectively, are positioned adjacent to two sets of keyboards, each having five keys, that are vertical and substantially adjacent to each other. The keyboard system permits the entry of data into a computer, radio system, interface or the like.
Other keyboard apparatuses and systems of possible relevance include the following U.S. Patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 329,675; 477,062; 506,718; 578,785; 753,318; 1,293,023; 1,409,386; 1,487,115; 1,733,605; 1,771,953; 1,932,914; 1,936,089; 1,998,063; 2,012,924; 2,028,516; 2,031,017; 2,040,248; 2,150,364; 2,187,592; 2,189,023; 2,190,752; 2,192,594; 2,200,807; 2,282,102; 2,312,138; 2,390,414; 2,428,605; 2,520,142; 2,532,228; 2,581,665; 2,616,198; 2,634,052; 2,641,769; 2,718,633; 2,823,468; 2,850,812; 2,972,140; 3,021,611; 3,022,878; 3,102,254; 3,166,856; 3,184;554; 3,197,889; 3,225,883; 3,234,664; 3,241,115; 3,277,587; 3,369,643; 3,375,497; 3,381,276; 3,428;747; 3,466,647; 3,507,376; 3,526,892; 3,582,554; 3,633,724; 3,675,513; 3,772,597; 3,781,802; 3,798,599; 3,818,448; 3,831,147; 3,831,296; 3,833,765; 3,879,722; 3,929,216; 3,945,482; 3,967,273; 3,970,185; 3,980,823; 3,982,236; 4,042,777; 4,067,431; 4,074,444; 4,132,976; 4,159,471; 4,185,282; 4,333,097; 4,350,055; 4,360,892; 4,467,321; 4,494,109; 4,516,939; 4,655,621; 4,680,572; 4,791,408; 4,804,279; 5,087,910; 5,217,311; 5,281,966; 5,361,083; 5,459,458; 5,486,058; 5,459,458; 5,515,305; 5,642,108, and an IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin Vol. 18 No. 12 dated May 1976 entitled; DIGITAL X" TYPEWRITER KEYBOARD which discloses two sets of five ergonomically arranged keys for each hand, where each key is operated by one of the ten digits on the left and right hands. The two thumb keys each produce a space. The eight finger keys use a three position switch (down, away and toward) or a five position switch as home row keys. Downward activation produces home row data, away activation produces top alphabetic row data and toward activation produces bottom row data found on the QWERTY keyboard.
While the foregoing all appear to represent improvements in the art of keyboard systems, they nevertheless tend to be difficult to learn and difficult to use, especially by individuals who are sight or hearing impaired. Of all the patents and technologies researched, none use or claim an eight bit binary computer code as a data entry means. The most relevant technology to this patent application is the eight bit EBCDIC computer code (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code), the eight bit ASCII and extended ASCII computer code (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) and the eight dot computer braille code, which is top dot configured for tactile reading.